Mint and Projects
by public static void
Summary: Their morning talk soon turns into a revelation of Peter's insecurities revolving around Sirius' academical projects.


When Sirius woke up, the first thing he saw was Peter's arm resting across his chest. He smiled and moved the blond boy's arm, trying not to wake him up. Only Remus could manage a recently-awoken Peter and he rather not bother either of his friends.

 _I wonder if we should still call ourselves just friends_ , Sirius thought as he waved his wand to summon his and Peter's clothes for the day. He then grabbed a book from his nightstand and began reading while waiting for Peter to wake up.

His hand automatically moved to Peter's soft hair, which smelled kind of minty that morning. It was strange given that they had been out all night, dirtying themselves on the Forbidden Forest floor with a transformed Remus. Sirius thought he liked the smell on Peter because the scent was both sharp and soft like Peter was.

For a few minutes, he lost himself in his reading about a dark ritual that let the caster send a projection of his mind into someone else's, similar to what Legilimancy did but without a possibility of defense on the part of the victim. Sirius' frown deepened with each sentence and instruction in the book, and soon he just chose to send it back home with a spell. It was not the first time he had to send back a book because of the immoral content; still, he continuously asked Regulus to send more books his way without Mother knowing it.

"Another?" a sleepy voice asked from his side, and Sirius promptly kissed Peter's forehead. "You should go and tell Regulus what you're looking for."

Sirius snorted. "Sadly, I don't know what I'm looking for. I just know something in that massive black hole of dark knowledge should be useful for my task."

Peter opened his eyes completely, with barely a hint of being recently woken up. "I could help you, Sirius," he offered with a seriousness on his face that Sirius almost didn't recognise. Peter had many of Gryffindor's qualities, but he wasn't particularly known for his bravery. "I'd do anything for you."

Sirius felt his heart melt at Peter's words, asking himself if they could be true or if they were just another subtle way of manipulation. Peter was quite good at that, and Sirius wondered, not for the first time, if sleeping with him was Peter's goal or the means to an end. Anyway, he chose to focus on the present, and the feeling of Peter's warmth at his side.

"I rather do this by myself, Peter," Sirius told him. "But if I need some help, you'll be the first one I'll ask. "

"Yeah, alright."

Something in Peter's face told Sirius he didn't believe his words. He stared at Peter for a second before sliding back into the covers and pulling him against his body.

"What is it?"

"It's just you always go to Remus when you have a question and- No, let me finish," Peter rushed to say when he saw Sirius about to talk. "Yes, you do ask me some things, mostly about Charms and Runes, but it is always Remus and James you go to when you need something for your special projects. It's as if you don't think I have an ounce of wit in my head and only repeat what I hear from teachers."

Sirius shrugged. "You are good at memorizing what teachers say. Not even Evans beats you there."

"And that is my point," Peter whined. Sirius felt suddenly nervous, not really wanting to deal with deep emotions. He loved Peter because they could always laugh at their feelings and just let them go. "I'm always compared to others in what I know or what I can do. I want to be asked for help because you trust me and my instincts instead of just wanting quick answers that come from someone else's brain."

Sirius felt his cheeks getting warm, a blush of shame revealing his guilt. Maybe what Peter said was true.

"Peter," he began with a gentle tone of voice and his hand over Peter's cheek, trying to emphasize how close they were and how much he trusted him. "Remus and James have shown their interest in the matter. You listen to me, but don't really get involved."

Peter's face fell. "I don't want to intrude," he said in a low voice. "But I do find your experiments interesting! I just don't want to be the fool who always meddles in his boyfriend's projects because he doesn't need to make one for his chosen career path!"

Sirius felt something jump inside him when he heard Peter call him his boyfriend. In the last six months, he had not thought of himself as Peter's boyfriend, but what else could he be when they slept by each other and could kiss themselves to sleep? Still, he didn't miss what Peter said.

"You are not a meddling fool!" Sirius said with a big and honest smile. "A meddling fool would be Snape trying to advise Evans on what to do with her Potions project. You are my boyfriend, and I value your opinion and thoughts. If you don't believe me, then I accept your recent offer of help. Peter, help me find a way to telepathically communicate with someone else in situations where it's impossible to speak."

His smile grew to a grin when he saw Peter's eyes get bright and a small smile show on his face.

"I'll have something for you when you get back from the Auror Academy's Interview today," Peter swore. "You'll ace the interview and when it's time to present your project you'll amaze them."

"Even more than Prongs with his _Safe-Death_ spell?" Sirius asked.

Peter kissed his lips. "Even more," he assured.

"Now tell me, Peter," Sirius prompted. "Why do you smell like mint?"

Peter blushed. "My tail got tangled in a mint bush last night," he confessed and soon the two of them were laughing, Peter's insecurities buried beneath fun and warm feelings.


End file.
